My queue experience from yesterday

As a member of the queue from 2pm to 8:15pm just thought I would let those that are interested know what happened yesterday. This is a moan so if you’re sick of the moaning don’t read on.

For a start, I admit I arrived too late.
I joined the back of the queue at 2pm. Their was a steward on the gates not letting people in. However, within 20 minutes or so about 10 people were behind me. At 3pm a member of staff come out and closed the queue and hung around at the back to make sure no-one else was joining. The people being turned away were given ‘passes’ for the day after to come back for their tickets. The member of staff left the back of the queue and a few more people joined. And a few more. 5pm and another member of staff joined the back of the queue to make sure no one else joined. By the time the other bloke had left and the new one had arrived the line behind me had gone from roughly 10 to around 30.
At 5pm the operators selling tickets had gone down to 4. This was when it seriously slowed down. At 6pm the blonde lady from the ticket office came out and was surprised at how big the queue had got since she last looked at 1:30pm. She asked where we had come from and that we shouldn’t be in the queue as she closed it at 1:30pm at the point where two gentleman were standing (5 places in front of me). I told her that when I arrived at 2pm no one told me the queue was closed, was closing etc or had stopped me joining. Only at 3pm and 5pm did someone come out to control the back of the queue and turn people away. She then informed everyone that the club couldn’t guarantee us tickets. She lost her cool as did the fans in the queue, I can understand it now however probably due to the extreme pressure she was under. We were then told that tickets were running low, down to single seats and restricted and extremely restricted views but were then told we would all get served and get our tickets.
As the sun had gone down the next 2 hours were horrible. Driving cold wind. Felt sorry for some of the older fans in the queue who were struggling. We stuck it out. At 7pm…..they decided to let us in for a warm and re-opened the club shop and let about 100 or so of us queue inside.
At 7:30pm a member of staff decided to come round with a clicker and ask each person how many tickets he or she wanted.
We were then told that only single tickets remained and that the club were to take our names, phone numbers and amounts of tickets required and will contact us in the morning if Liverpool released anymore tickets. Unbelievable. We were also told we could remain queuing if we liked for single tickets or hope to get two singles one above and one below. I remained in the queue and got to 15 places from the front. Then, at 8:10pm the box office closed, no announcement just closed. The people who had just got to the counter were turned away. That was it. We were then told if any more tickets became available we would be contacted first thing and our tickets would be reserved.

Questions:
If the queue was closed at 3pm why not do the clicker count then to see how many tickets were required by those in the queue and compare that to the number available? Maybe then we could have been turned away at 4pm instead of waiting another 5 hours in the cold and wind. Instead of having elderly fans standing for 5 hours in the cold and wind.
If they decided to close the queue at a certain time why not have a steward or member of staff at the back of the queue to make sure no one else joined it?
Why give priority tickets out to the people being turned away between 2pm and 5pm when their wasn’t even enough tickets left for the amount of people in the queue that the club had just closed?

The other questions people have already asked……
Why weren’t coach tickets sold separately say at a turnstyle?
Why wasn’t their a cash only sale point or turnstyle?
Why were individuals allowed to purchase tickets with 20+ season tickets on them?



Got to say, I Feel sorry for the staff. Some had done 12 hours yesterday due to the shoddy organization. Obviously some of the staff got irate and its understandable and unfortunately some fans took their frustrations out of them. Unfortunately the staff had been sold down the river too with the poor planning and even poorer decision making.

I’m not going to complain about not getting a ticket due to people who haven’t been since Wembley or Cardiff nor complain that I didn’t get a ticket. I went down too late and lost out BUT had the club closed the queue properly, enforced its closure and then done a count of how many required against how many left I could have gone home at 4pm along with many others instead of spending the next 4 hours in the cold waiting for the same result.
I honestly feel like I deserve an apology for the above reason alone. Not for the not getting a ticket part BUT for the shoddy organization as listed above.

So….anyone got two tickets for sale ?!?!?!!??


PAOLO

 

Doesn't surprise me,but it should have been Don Rowing takeing charge and facing the flak from those queuing,Spinks wasn't everyones favourite but he did make himself visible on days like yesterday.Don was probably monitoring the sales in the sweet shop,good day for cough drops.

 

someone has also told me there was a big pile of tickets , in the ticket office that were 'reserved'? reserved for who? and did anyone down there see them???????????????

 

RE: Ticket office staff

I agree with what you say and they did one hell of a job to shift 6000 tickets yesterday, its not there decision as to who gets the tickets or how many.</p>

 

I think the club needed to somehow split the ST holders up and spread out the sale of tickets over 2 or 3 days?
That means supporters couldnt come to buy tickets for more than a couple of ST holders.

Just looks to me that Liverpool have shafted the little club by not issuing enough allocation. I know they only have to provide roughly 22.5% of the capacity to away fans so in the eyes of the FA they have done nothing wrong but I would have thought BFC could have sold many more than that?
What if theres a replay? Will they get the whole North stand? Yes course they will all 6500 will go to Liverpool fans.
I say if there is a replay we give them the West Stand North and see how they like it!!!

I'm not going. I'm not a ST holder (Was from 1978 to 2001, Now not able to due to other commitments) I have a Colchester stub as I can usually make midweek games.

Dean

 

yeah them pile of tickets was reserved for executives or sumat

 

pontered; i dont think liver[pool have shafted us, they have given us the agreed allocation, its someone at BFC who made such a ridiculous decision regarding how many tickets ST's could have where the problem lies...

 

you are being kind

the club has more than one week to make arrangements. I could make arrangements for how to sell tickets for the quarter finals NOW, they might not be needed but they could be made.

 

RE: Ticket office staff

Must agree the staff did a tremendous job shifting 6000 tickets knowing what they were going to be facing later on. Even they can do the 2 per ST sum. I personally wouldn`t have been looking forward that shift.

 

I completely agree with peoples comments especially paolo tykeio....

You cannot blame the front line staff for fools who decided 2 per season ticket.....

My experience was different to most of here.....

Arrived at Oakwell in the freezing cold dark skies at 6:10 (about 20 people in front of me), waited and waited for the sun to arrive and then the staff to arrive, all went to plan and I was served at 9:20, most around were getting 2 tickets per book and one person had a bucketful of season tickets.

When I left the queue was down to Pontefract Road and glad I went early, it was freezing and anyone could tell tickets would go that day.

You cannot blame fans who got there full allocation as the were the rules in place...... BUT..... Why not 1 per season ticket and let the fans who come to all games get a chance.....

Please don't...... Have a go re non season ticket holder who come to as many games as they can or work some Saturdays etc, I feel sorry for those people as at any football club they do not get any priority.

 

Denno

I was stood outside the reception and could see in. On the table were big piles of cash and a decent wedge of Liverpool tickets in a pile. Who they were for I don't know, maybe players?

PAOLO

 

RE: Denno

I know of someone (don't know name) who had 34 tickets reserved for them as 'they' knoew someone working there so didn't have to queue. A wealthy fan too.

 

Lions led by donkeys nt

 

Why stay open until 8-15 wasnt that going to be Thurday and Friday only according to the website.

 

Thats another thing.....

Why keep the ticket office open til late on Thursday?
Why not Monday and Tuesday when demand would be highest instead of closing at 5 on the first day ???
They remained open til 8pm last night simply because BFC closed the queue themselves at 3pm and obviously expected to serve everyone. They couldn't then close at 5 when people had been queueing hours in the cold and had been told they would get served.

PAOLO

 

There was quite a few tickets on the reserved list

I know a couple that have got them today. Barstewards

 

Years ago I went to see Fulham v Liverpool

In a league cup match 2nd leg when I was on business in London.

Liverpool had won the first leg at Anfield 10 (yes ten) - 0.

There was a full page in the Fulham programme detailing ticket arrangements for a possible replay (in those days a tie all square after 2 legs was replayed I think).

Now that's forward planning for you!

 

My queue experience from yesterday - DIDN'T GO - SO DON'T EXPECT A TICKET nt

And yes, I am a ST holder